Baking oven heated by a fluid medium

ABSTRACT

A baking oven heated by fluid thermal medium and comprising a furnace separated from an oven and placed in a suitable location, for preference outside the bakehouse, and the oven comprising cooking compartments separated one from another by spaces of air, and heat exchangers for obtaining a maximum of regularity of the temperature in the cooking compartments, and spray tubes for producing steam disposed near the center of each compartment.

United States Patent Scheyen 51 Feb. 15, 197 2 [54] BAKING OVEN HEATED BY A FLUID 1,950,670 3/1934 Gleason ..107/63 MEDIUM 1,060,841 5/1913 Humphrey. 107/63 1,760,884 6/1930 Pais ..107/63 [721 Salem stmsbmlre France 2,195,686 4/1940 Delsignore ..107/63 73 Assignee; W Dim Scheyen ls SA" 2,783,720 3/1967 Skarin et al.... .....107/63 suasbourg, Fm 2,956,523 10/1960 Cady ..107/63 3,192,669 7/1965 Hawkins ..52/11 X {22] Filed: May 12, 1969 [21] Appl No; 823,91 7 FOREIGN PATENTS 0R APPLICATIONS 1,080,941 6/1960 Germany ..107/55 A [30] Foreign Application Priority Dam Primary Examiner-Frank L. Abbott May 17, 1968 France ..9162 Assistant Examiner-Sam D. Burke Attomey-Emest G. Montague [52] US. Cl. ..107/55 A, 107/63 [51] Int. Cl. A211) l/08 [57] ABSTRACT [58] mm "107/ 55 5 3 @32 A baking oven heated by fluid thermal medium and comprising a furnace separated from an oven and placed in a suitable 56] Retemces Cited location, for preference outside the bakehouse, and the oven comprising cooking compartments separated one from UNITED STATES PATENTS another by spaces of air, and heat exchangers for obtaining a maximum of regularity of the temperature in the cooking Wteghorst compartments and spray tubes for producing stea 326,170 9/1885 St. John ..107/63 near the center f each compartmem 628,052 7/ 1899 Werner ..107/63 734,245 7/ 1903 Smith ..l07/63 7 Claims, 10 Drawing Figures Li q fl .n.s a.n n..lna q q q o u i l |nu n Tuou' l non uon I 11 I o o o o l J PATENTEDFEB 15 I972 3. 641. 944

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Mar-u! By W f w lM-ornm BAKING OVEN HEATED BY A FLUID MEDIUM The present invention relates to a baking or cooking oven heated by means of fluid thermal medium. It is an object of the present invention to provide an oven which ensures cooking in the best possible conditions and provides a consequential successful result, comprising an oven heated by fluid thermal medium and comprising on the one hand a tire grate or furnace separated from the oven and placed in an appropriate position, preferably outside the bakehouse, in order to exclude all combustion odors (fuel gases or other odors) and, on the other hand, the oven itself, is constructed in a manner to permit rapid changes of temperature.

It is another object of the present invention to provide an oven, comprising a plurality of different compartments separated definitely one from the other by airspaces, thus effecting a good insulation of these compartments with respect one to another; heat exchangers of which the construction and the positioning make it possible to have a maximum of regularity of temperature over the whole of their surfaces and, in view of this fact, in the cooking chamber, the heat disseminated by these exchangers being regulatable by means of valves, there being the possibility of regulating the temperature from base to roof, and the exchangers being advantageously easily dismountable from the front, and their joining together being located at the rear of the oven; and leakage or drip tubes for producing steam disposed near the middle of each compartment and joined together at the exterior by a pipe placed between the compartments and connected to the water supply, to the left or to the right according to the possibilities of the installation.

The advantages of the invention are indicated in the following description and include making it possible to provide a baking or cooking oven which is of simple and economical construction and can be easily maintained but nevertheless is very. efi'rcient and easily regulatable to suit a wide range of requirements.

With the above and other objects in view which will become apparent in the following detailed description, the present invention will be clearly understood in connection with the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 is a diagrammatic view in section of an oven in accordance with the present invention;

FIG. 2 is a partial cross section of a cooking chamber;

FIG. 3 is a plan view of a first heat exchanger;

FIGS. 4, and 5a are respectively two plan views and a front elevation of a second heat exchanger;

FIGS. 6 and 7 are detail views illustrating the mounting of the exchangers at the rear of the oven, and

FIGS. 8 and 9 are detail views illustrating the mounting and the interconnection of the drip tubes for producing steam.

As illustrated in the drawings, the oven to be heated by fluid thermal medium, in accordance with the present invention, comprises a fire grate or furnace (not shown) placed in an appropriate position separated from the bakehouse, and the oven itself, the connection between the furnace and the oven being effected by means of supply pipes 2 and return pipes 3.

Essentially the oven comprises cooking chambers formed by compartments 4 separated one from the others by separators and profiled elements 5 (FIGS. 1 and 8) providing a space of air 6 therebetween thus effecting a good insulation.

Each of the compartments 4 comprises, for the heating of the cooking chambers one or more heat exchangers 7, 7, for a roof portion and one or more heat exchangers 8, 8 for a base position of the compartments.

These exchangers 7, 7 and 8, 8', thus, e.g., as shown in FIG. 3 in one embodiment, comprise a series of tubes 12 joined to two header tubes 13, 13' positioned transversely relative thereto and provided with obturators forcing the fluid thermal medium, supplied by the heat pipes 2, to enter, through pipes 9 and 9' into the lateral tubes of the exchangers and therein to move towards the center in order to leave by pipes 10 and 10 and rejoin return pipes 3.

The supply of the fluid. thermal medium to the different exchangers is regulatable by valves 1 l.

In another embodiment of the exchangers (FIGS. 4 and 5), tubes 12 are joined together by a single transverse tube 13 provided with two obturators 14, 14.

In this embodiment the arriving fluid medium follows arrow 15, travels by way of the lateral tubes 13, and then the U-tubes 12 in the interior, and leaves the heat exchanger following arrow 16 from tube 13.

The path of travel thus given to the fluid thennal medium in these exchangers and the more or less wide opening of the valves 11 makes it possible to obtain on the one hand a practically uniform temperature over the whole extent of the cooking chamber and, on the other hand permits, such a regulation of the temperature between the base and the roof of the cooking compartments as is necessary for good cooking.

The good distribution and diffusion of the heat in the cooking chamber are still further augmented by the provision underneath the exchangers in the roof portion of a perforated plate 17 supporting the heat exchangers.

The base exchangers transmit the heat to plates 18 placed upon them.

According to a further feature of the invention, the heat exchangers, with a view to facilitating their mounting and their dismounting, are joined together and connected at the rear of the oven to supply pipe systems and to return pipe systems for the fluid thermal medium and are releasable from the front.

Thus as illustrated in FIGS. 6 and 7, the exchanger 7 in the roof is connected to an elbow pipe 19 to which is welded a connector 20 fitting, with a joint 22 positioned against the rear interior face 21 of the cooking chamber 4 and secured on this face by means of screws 23.

The fixing of the exchanger 8 in the base is effected in a similar manner by means of an elbow pipe 19, a connector 20', and the screws 23.

The loosening and removing of the screws 23 renders possible the extraction of the exchangers at the front of the oven, the connection flange 24 can pass through the opening 25 provided in the rear wall 21 of the oven.

It will be readily understood that the heating of the pastry oven, not illustrated in detail, is effected in a similar manner.

A further feature of the invention resides in the construction and the distribution of the drip tubes for producing steam (FIGS.8and 9).

These drip arrangements placed near the middle of each compartment between the perforated plates 17, each comprise a tube 26 fixed to the roof of the cooking chamber and including on each side a plurality of spray heads 27 intended to ensure the projection of jets of water under pressure into the cooking chamber so as to create a steam atmosphere in the interior of this chamber.

Under the tube 26 a gutter 28 is welded which collects any lost water.

As illustrated in FIG. 8 the drip or spray arrangement is connected at the exterior by a union 30 to the water supply by means of a conduit 29 placed between the compartments.

Finally it is possible to produce hot water at regulatable temperatures by passing it through conduits 31 of a general circuit of the fluid thermal medium and the heaters 32 (FIG. 1

While I have disclosed several embodiments of the present invention, it is to be understood that these embodiments are given by example only and not in a limiting sense.

I claim:

1. A cooking oven heated by liquid thermal medium comprising a plurality of compartments spaced from each other,

a plurality of separator elements spaced by profiled elements and disposed between said compartments and defining insulating airspaces between and out of communication with said compartments,

at least one heat exchanger means constituting a continuous loop circulation system for forcibly circulating a liquid thermal medium and including a plurality of tubes disposed at the upper and lower portions of each of said compartments and valve means regulating said liquid thermal medium supplied to the said heat exchanger means for providing a maximum of regularity of the temperature in each of the upper and lower portions of each said compartments, respectively,

water spray tubes disposed at least near the middle of each of said compartments and spraying water into said compartments for producing steam therein, and

a perforated plate supporting each of said tubes of said heat exchanger means in said upper portion of said compartments, and heat-transmitting plates disposed on said tubes of said heat exchanger in said lower portion of said compartments.

2. The oven, as set forth in claim 1, further comprising a furnace, and

supply and return conduit tubes connecting said furnace to said heat exchanger means of said oven.

3. The oven, as set forth in claim 2, further comprising connectors by which said heat exchanger means are connected and fixed to said supply and return conduit tubes for the liquid thermal medium, and

said oven includes a rear wall, and said connectors fitting against the interior of said rear wall of the oven and are dismountable therefrom and removable through the front of said oven.

4. The oven, as set forth in claim 1, wherein each of said heat exchanger means comprises said plurality of tubes extending from lateral side parts toward the center of said compartments and connected to each other and including obturators forcing said fluid thermal medium to travel through said plurality of tubes from the lateral side parts towards the center, obtaining a uniform temperature over the whole of the surface of the compartments.

5. The oven, as set forth in claim 1, which includes a plurality of spray arrangements each comprising,

said water spray tubes fixed to said upper portion of said compartments at the center of said respective compartments and each including a plurality of spray heads, and

a gutter means for the collection of falling water and fixed below the said respective spray tubes.

6. The oven, as set forth in claim 1 which includes a source of water,

a union and a conduit system communicating with said source of water, and at least one spray arrangement including said spray tubes which is connected to said source of water under pressure by means of said union and said conduit system disposed between said compartments.

7. The oven, as set forth in claim 1, further comprising heating means,

general circuit conduit means for said liquid thennal medium which are fixed on said heating means to produce hot water at a regulatable temperature. 

1. A cooking oven heated by liquid thermal medium comprising a plurality of compartments spaced from each other, a plurality of separator elements spaced by profiled elements and disposed between said compartments and defining insulating airspaces between and out of communication with said compartments, at least one heat exchanger means constituting a continuous loop circulation system for forcibly circulating a liquid thermal medium and including a plurality of tubes disposed at the upper and lower portions of each of said compartments and valve means regulating said liquid thermal medium supplied to the said heat exchanger means for providing a maximum of regularity of the temperature in each of the upper and lower portions of each said compartments, respectively, water spray tubes disposed at least near the middle of each of said compartments and spraying water into said compartments for producing steam therein, and a perforated plate supporting each of said tubes of said heat exchanger means in said upper portion of said compartments, and heat-transmitting plates disposed on said tubes of said heat exchanger in said lower portion of said compartments.
 2. The oven, as set forth in claim 1, further comprising a furnace, and supply and return conduit tubes connecting said furnace to said heat exchanger means of said oven.
 3. The oven, as set forth in claim 2, further comprising connectors by which said heat exchanger means are connected and fixed to said supply and return conduit tubes for the liquid thermal medium, and said oven includes a rear wall, and said connectors fitting against the interior of said rear wall of the oven and are dismountable therefrom and removable through the front of said oven.
 4. The oven, as set forth in claim 1, wherein each of said heat exchanger means comprises said plurality of tubes extending from lateral side parts toward the center of said compartments and connected to each other and including obturators forcing said fluid thermal medium to travel through said plurality of tubes from the lateral side parts towards the center, obtaining a uniform temperature over the whole of the surface of the compartments.
 5. The oven, as set forth in claim 1, which includes a plurality of spray arrangements each comprising, said water spray tubes fixed to said upper portion of said compartments at the center of said respective compartments and each including a plurality of spray heads, and a gutter means for the collection of falling water and fixed below the said respective spray tubes.
 6. The oven, as set forth in claim 1, which includes a source of water, a union and a conduit system communicating with said source of water, and at least one spray arrangement including said spray tubes which is connected to said source of water under pressure by means of said union and said conduit system disposed between said compartments.
 7. The oven, as set forth in claim 1, further comprising heating means, general circuit conduit means for said liquid thermal medium which are fixed on said heating means to produce hot water at a regulatable temperature. 